Fate Takes No Sides
by Umbra93
Summary: Partial Pre-Jak 2) Torn's cousin, Leona always resented the Krimzon Guard until on her 18th birthday, she was forced head on into the KG Training program. The moment Erol gets into the mix, she is immediately given a wake up call. When her heart, morality, and dignity is most vulnerable, Torn rebels, joining The Underground, letting her face the wrath of The Baron. (ErolxOC) fluff*
1. You Can't Break My Spirit

**Hello, fellow readers! I'd like to first off thank you for your consideration reading this fanfic… It's been a long time coming I wrote this, as Jak and Daxter fanfics were actually in fact the first ones I started to write when I was 12 years old, so this is quite sentimental for me. They were ****terrible**** little Mary Sue-filled, grammatically incorrect and redundant pieces of CRAP… But it was a start on a long 8 year road of practice. So in a way, this is my first ever fanfic story completely re-made with a much more thought out plot. **_**(Actually… I don't even think my first fanfics had a plot. I just sat down and started writing!)**_

**Anyway, I won't keep you. I hope you like it. :-P**

***Disclaimer- I do not own any characters of the Jak and Daxter series other than any Original Characters appearing in this story. All rights belong to Naughty Dog***

* * *

"Hey, Torn… Where are we going?" Leona curiously asked, sheepishly asking her elder cousin, dressed in his complete Krimzon commander uniform, red and yellow metal armor glistened in the sun. The girl felt slightly underdressed in her dark cotton clothing, a brown sleeveless top that covered half her torso with black loose fitting pants with boots to match. She assumed Torn was going to take his shift right after her birthday "celebration".

He was leading her through Dead Town and towards the nicer parts of the city. "..Let's just say it's a 'gift' from Baron Praxis himself." Averting the direct question, his voice was raspy and quiet. _I should've at least given you a cupcake or something this morning… I'm sorry about this, kid. You aren't ready for this._ His face grim, he didn't want to answer. It was her 18th birthday, meaning certain steps were to be put in order, by law of Baron Praxis. Immediately; whether you wanted it or not.

Leona flipped her hair long dark brunette hair back as a gust of wind from one of the flying zoomers ahead caught her off guard. It was partially dread-locked like Torn's, but instead of it all being tucked away in braids, she liked keeping most her hair free. Her bright ocean blue eyes explored the sky. It was a beautiful morning in Haven City. She only wished her cousin would lighten up a bit.

Making it into the front doors of the Palace, the birthday girl stayed close behind her cousin as he made conversation with a standard Krimzon guard. The nameless guard glanced over at her as her eyes sheepishly turned away. Torn frowned, turning towards Leona, putting both hands on her shoulders, grasping firmly as the other guard walked away, waving a security pass to open a door to another section of the building.

"I want you to listen to me, and listen good, Leona. I wish there was a way around this, but there isn't." Her heart sank as her face grew pale. Suddenly, she understood.

"I didn't tell you earlier because I just couldn't." He grimaced. Her hands latched onto his forearm. "…Torn…" She muttered.

"You are strong, like your uncle Roy; my father. Remember that scatter gun training we've recently been having? You're definitely gonna need it." He went on as the face of fear appeared on his little cousin's face.

"How could you have _not_ told me about this?! I don't want to hurt people, Torn! How could you?!" She ranted, her eyes glazed, on the verge of tears.

Shoving him away, she stepped back glaring at him, his expression suddenly stone-faced. He expected this of her, imagining this day over and over again through his mind for weeks. He was prepared for it. Leona was the last family he had. That's why he was so 'torn' about it. Before he could put in another word, Erol and two other KG soldiers entered the lobby meeting the two. Leona glared at Erol, taking in his appearance. He was dressed nearly as flashy as Torn was, except he wasn't Praxis's 2nd hand man. He was the Baron's errand boy in comparison.

"It is safe enough to assume our newest recruit has received the wonderful news of her employment…" Erol made a toothy grin, looking her over. Leona gave him a dirty look, wiping away a tear before it became evident it was even there. Looking at him she felt disgusted.

She never liked the Baron's Krimzon guards, especially the ones patrolling the city. They were rude. Bossy. Inhuman. They arrested you if you were only a day late on an eco payment. Injustice was common in the city. There were times at the dinner table at home on a bad day, Torn reminded her of some of the worst, resulting in heated words and cold plates. On days where she couldn't take it anymore, she would often sneak out of the city and into the forest in the mountains, despite the risky nature of getting there. Leona loved her cousin. He was the brother she never had. Metal heads killed her parents when at a young age. They were all they had. In that forest, the girl managed to even avert the occasional metalhead that grazed the place. Leona preferred the idea of freedom and prosperity instead of cold stone walls and stone faces. There was a secret (and quite snug) entrance back into the city through the racing stadiums, more specifically under the track. She was able to watch some of the races through the cracks of concrete as she walked home

Suddenly none of that mattered. It was all just a memory as she entered that forsaken palace. Right then she hated Erol. She hated Torn for bringing her there. She hated everything that had to do with Krimzon Guards. They represented everything she resented in Haven City, and she was expected to join them peacefully; willfully. She wanted to run, but couldn't. So she did what she could just to keep her sanity.

"I bet you kiss your mirror at night before you go to sleep, you masochistic _**tattoo freak!**_" Leona growled as Torn swallowed dryly, watching Erol's expression change into a mixture of both amusement and anger. He chuckled lightly, taking a step forward.

"My, this one has a mouth on her." The red-headed commander grinned, slowly approaching her, their eyes locked on one another in hostility. He could see the fire in her eyes, as she could see the bitterness in his. You could cut the tension between them in half. The two guards that accompanied him closely monitored Leona's actions as their commander circled her. Fists clenched, heart racing, she kept her stance, looking ready to bolt at any second. Reaching out, Erol took hold of her jaw line pulling her close, studying her face, mentally manifesting crimson guard markings on her young flawless completion. She scowled, shoving him away. How dare he touch her.

"Torn, go out and prepare the marking machine." Erol asked as Torn frowned in annoyance. The red-head commander was a lower rank than him, as Torn was in fact the Baron's 2nd hand man, a position Erol had been fighting to get for years.

"How about one of the guards do it. Better yet, _you_?" The raspy voiced commander rebutted. He knew Erol wanted to after the insults he received from her.

"You're the one who got her into this, my friend." Erol's gaze turned to Torn. "She's your family, right? It would be more meaningful if you did it since… After all, it is her birthday today." His voice was teasing as he looked back at her angered face.

It didn't feel like her birthday. It felt more like the death of her old, simple, happy life, trading it for a life of pain and corruption. No. She refused to let it corrupt her beliefs. They couldn't do this to her! Baron Praxis was NOT going to claim her! Before they could blink, Leona's legs sprang into action as she bolted toward the open door that led deeper into the palace. Her hope was to hide in a crevice somewhere until it was safe, if safe existed any longer.

"Get her!" Erol barked at the guards who went after the young girl.

More guards came as she did her best to remember the training Torn had given her. Leona ran until making a wrong corner, hitting a dead end with no crevices in sight. _SHIT!_ She cried to herself, cornered with Krimzon Guards catching up to her in every direction. Her movements swift, she managed to fight off two fully grown armored guards before one she hadn't noticed knocked her out with the butt of his gun; a direct blow to the back of her head. The last thing she managed to see before fainting were Erol and Torn's steel-toed spiked boots approaching her limp body.

* * *

The birthday girl awoke with the worst headache she had ever experienced in her life as she started to slowly evaluate her surroundings. She was in a prison cell. Four small 15ft metal walls surrounded her with one lone light shining directly above her. Regret and pain flooded her mind. How could she have thought she could outrun a montage of guards in the Palace of all places? Putting a hand to her face, her fingertips stung her forehead and cheeks. The skin pulsated and swelled with traces of blood catching onto her hand; and man did the tips of her ears hurt as well. A terrifying realization suddenly dawned upon her.

_Oh no… No no no…. _She cried to herself as she slowly sat up, looking for some form of reflective material. In the corner near the "toilet" there was a small mirror the size of your palm. Rushing to it she looked into it, tracing the unique-to-her grey geometric shapes that traced her facial profile. She felt like she was going to vomit and then faint all over again. It wasn't for another two hours she heard the sound of electrical mechanisms clicking nearby as she sat in the corner, staring out into space at the wall, her back facing the cell door as it opened. She listened to the sound of someone wordlessly stepping in, knowing only one of two people she could think of it could be.

"Get the hell away from me." She spoke bitterly as she choked on the tears she was attempting to repress.

"You know I can't do that. I'm not going to let you rot in here." Torn shrugged, crossing his arms. "When I turned 18, the very same thing happened to me. Believe me when I say it's not as bad as it seems, Leona. Be mad all you want. It's happening, and it would run far smoother if you would stop resisting so damn much." He glared at the back of her head, waiting for her response.

She closed her eyes, pretending she was back in her forest, under her favorite tree; the one with light bark, surrounded with precursor artifacts with sunlight shining down through it's lush leaves. It was her only way of escaping that cell. She could almost feel the breeze graze her cheek. The mirage is ruined as Torn suddenly stormed toward her, harshly gripping her right arm, throwing her upward forcing the girl to stand.

"What the hell, Torn!?" She growled, trying to ease his grip as she was forced out of her cell.

"She's all yours, _commander_." Torn growled, almost literally throwing his young cousin at an amused Erol.

The red-headed official kept her locked in place, gripping both her wrists as she stared at him with fear instead of her first look of rage in their first personal encounter. _What?!_ She couldn't believe what Torn was doing. Why was he so willing to give her up like that?! What was all that talk about being strong for if he was just going to abandon her, putting her in the hands of someone as power hungry as Erol?

Torn walked away, leaving the room as he could not bear to see what was going to happen next.

"Tell me _again_ how I'm a tattoo freak?" He hissed in her ear as she grimaced in embarrassment.

Raising her arms up, the red-headed commander forced Leona to stand still as the Krimzon Guards proceeded to start undressing her.

"_**GET OFF OF ME!**_" She screamed, trying to break free of Erol's grasp. The only thing he was really touching were her wrists. It was the two guards following his orders, forcing her to wear KG apparel suited for battle. Leona managed to get a good kick in one of the guard's face before Erol proceeded to slam her to a cold, metal wall as the guards continued to do their job.

"The more you resist, the harder this is going to get." Speaking into her ear, Erol hissed through his teeth. Looking smug, Leona butted her forehead with his, challenging how well his threat was still. Glaring at each other, Erol couldn't help but smirk. _This one is strong…_ He thought to himself, looking over her stripped body, noticing every curve, crevice, and bit of muscle tone. He didn't even have to undress her with his eyes to notice. It was evident she was a runner. It took a while for her to keep that figure, that power.

He loved that word, 'Power'. He made note to himself to keep this girl close.

"Hey." Leona's voice brought him back to reality as his gaze slowly returned to her eyes. "I'm up here, dick." She scowled as he chuckled.

Leaving only the girl's undergarments, they re-dressed her in standard female Krimzon guard apparel, with all black underneath, armor protecting the shins, arms, legs, and upper torso, along with helmet and goggles. Leona's eyes continued bore into his, full of hatred as he grinned in amusement. As soon as the metallic seal of the torso armor clicked into place, the transformation was complete. Letting go, Leona dropped to the floor with a grunt, her energy spent. The evidence of them practically bumping skulls was a faint pink dot on both their foreheads that soon vanished.

"Fits like a glove… Oh, almost forgot this…" Erol stated, taking out a golden light scarf, gently wrapping it over her neck, completing the ensemble of her look, hiding some of the mask that rested on her collar bone. She didn't resist. She was too weak. "You are going to have to be far more compliant than this, my dear, or else things are _not_ going to turn out pretty for you. Red and yellow are _definitely_ your colors. One day you'll learn to love it." Erol grinned, walking away, his mission completed… For now.

Leona's dignity was on the verge of collapse. The worst birthday of her life; tricked into walking into the Baron's Palace, getting chased and knocked out by guards, tattooed without her will, and at the very end, violated. Erol didn't have to touch her to do make her feel that way. Being escorted out, she stayed quiet. The guard she kicked shoved her out of the room. "I'm not paid enough to deal with your shit, so be careful what you do around here." He growled, escorting her to the KG dorms.

* * *

A whole week passes as Leona was given lodgings within the palace, meaning the dorms. Room 24A. It wasn't a prison cell, but it sure felt like one. If she hadn't resisted, it would've been an option for her to be able to return home and back for more training. This was her punishment. She hoped she could recover a few things from home sometime soon. Broken and homesick, the only things that distracted her mind were the 8 hour crimson guard training; 4 hours of hand to hand combat and drills, 4 hours of learning code names and shooting practice. She was enslaved with these tasks, knowing if she fought them as to what was going to happen. With all the training she was receiving, she _could_ take them on, but not a whole swarm of them. Her fear was what kept her in line.

One afternoon in the middle of shooting practice in a standardized looking indoor shooting range, she was required to switch from rifle to pistol with a limited time frame. As she switched to her pistol in swift time, the girl went trigger happy using only one hand as she trigger shot her paper target, three times in the head and groin. After all the other trainees, she was the most accurate and diligent. It was mainly her anger that kept her so focused, imagining she was shooting Erol in the head, and beating the bajezus out of her bringing her there. Her tattoos had healed, but the emotional pain was still fresh.

"_Please return all firearms into slot."_ The female robotic voice ordered everyone in the room, as everyone did what they were told.

Everyone had their own slot; their own number. The trainees left the range like a flock of sheep as Leona just stood there, staring at her target get cast away to be discarded. The last crimson guard trainee there, she turned to nearly bump into Erol. Startled she stood straight, not having expected to see the red-headed fiery tempered commander.

"I've been getting reports you are responding quite well to our training program. Had to see it for myself." He smirked, studying her over.

Leona frowned, swallowing dryly as she thought of her response. "I guess it's a family trait." _That, and I often imagine it's you as the target, dick._

Erol chuckled as he approached the nearby computer, setting a command to reset the range. "Well then. Let's see just how well you do with some friendly competition." Leona scoffed, rolling her eyes at the word 'friendly'. The bell rang and sheets of paper appeared before them on the range.

"Show me what you've got." He grinned, taking his personal pistol, aiming it right at his paper victim in the next slot beside hers. With a sigh, she picked hers up and they proceeded to shoot. Her pistol was hot to the touch, shot after shot as they competed who's aim was better. After a full 3 minute round, Erol won victorious as the computer made it's estimated rounds, but not by much as Leona had been 5 shots behind.

"_Please return all firearms into slot"_ The robotic voice ordered once more.

"Yeah, yeah…" Leona muttered, quietly returning her weapon back in its place. Erol turned the corner as she turned to face him once more with a bored expression on her face. She was attempting to not show any stir of emotion, be it anger or pride she almost beat him at his own game.

"Not bad shooting. Keep it up and promotions could lead your way after initial graduation. Lets get drinks." The commander offered, seeing her slightly pause at such a sudden statement. That was the last thing she could've thought of doing at that moment. She just wanted to crawl into her 'cell' and curl into the sheets to brace for another day.

Glaring at him, she slightly tilted her head in curiosity. "No thanks." She declined, crossing her arms. Erol chuckled, taking a step forward as she instinctively took a step back, much like a startled child.

"I insist. You deserve it.. Besides, I've got to make up some way or another for how I treated you when you arrived here. I'm not a complete monster, you know." Erol shrugged, nodding his head towards the door, still holding his offer to the young girl. _Yeah, right…_ She sighed to herself. Leona was at least 5 years younger than him. She was probably too young to drink by city law, but _being_ the law had it's perks.

She took a moment to think about it as she studied his appearance as his expression slightly softened. Could she really give him a chance at some form of redemption? There was one day back when she had faith in the humanity in the Krimzon Guard, mostly thanks to Torn's influence. What left of it had been etched out of her when she became the very monster herself. She wanted to feel that sense of hope again. It's what kept her going all those years in her childhood. She decided to give Erol one final shot. For Torn.

"…Alright… You win." She sighed, moving past him toward the door.

* * *

Erol took Leona to Krew's Hip-Hog Heaven Saloon in the southern section of the city. Leona insisted on sitting at the bar instead of the enclosed booths. She had enough time sitting in an enclosed area for a while. The nameless waiter kept the drinks coming for the KG trainee and commander.

"Do you know why we were able to catch you so easily that first day?" Erol asked, taking a swig of his drink. Laona stared at hers, her heart skipping a beat. She preferred not to think about it. Unaware of her thoughts, he continued. "You are strong and have excellent qualities that could be honed… But, you are sloppy. Unorganized. That was your downfall in not thinking it through." Frowning, the female guard trainee didn't reply. She didn't want to give him the satisfaction knowing she regretted running, but at the same time different. She wanted him to know she was a force to be reckoned with, but it was Erol himself who was an even greater power.

Krew zoomed down on the two, curious to see who Erol was with. Leona turned to see the unnaturally morbidly obese gang-lord and almost dropped her drink, completely set off guard by his grotesque appearance. Despite her wondering off in the night as a kid, she had never before bothered to explore downtown. Somehow she kept herself sheltered from all sorts of things she hadn't realized.

"Mmmm… I can smell a fresh one when I see it, and pretty, too. Where'd you find this one, ey?" Krew wheezed, turning to Erol for information.

"That's classified." The red-head scoffed at him.

Shrugging and dropping the matter, the obese old man continued. "Let me know when your next up-coming race will be, ey? I'm betting big this season, and I need the money to finish remodeling this place."

Erol rolled his eyes. "Just keep your eyes peeled to the city announcement board."

A light bulb flashed in her head, a memory flooding back into Leona's mind. She remembered how she on occasion visited the city races, and noticed a common pattern of a masked man continuously winning every race. Looking over Erol one more time, the girl recognized the mask he wore above his head.

"_You_?!" She exclaimed, her voice filled with sudden surprise and excitement. Erol, set aback from Leona's sudden enthusiasm, rendered him momentarily speechless. He never thought he'd see the day where he could see a hint of a small smile on her lips. "You're the one who continuously wins those races?"

"I'm allowed to have a hobby in my off time." Erol chuckled in pride as he puffed out his chest as if to show off; confirming her suspicion.

Leona chuckled, putting her hands to her face in disbelief. The one man she looked up to but never identified was someone she in fact had despised all along. That nameless masked man on the track was nothing but a blur. He raced with purpose and intent, and in her mind, for a greater cause.

"I used to cheer for you but never knew who you were…. I never was close enough to see your face on the screen!" She laughed nervously, looking away. The speakers were always muffled and she had a poor visual since she wasn't allowed in the stadium. She wasn't sure if she felt disgusted or thrilled to finally figure it out. The alcohol in her system definitely didn't help her either.

A twinkle sparked in Erol's eye as he found common ground with the stubborn girl. "See, we're not all that different. You seem to love racing as much as I love winning them. I'll be sure to get you a front row seat where you can really see the action." He smirked, attempting to sound courteous.

She cleared her throat, forcing herself to control her laughter as she looked back at the commander. "You're still gonna need far more than a racing trophy to convince me of anything... But sure, that sounds… Nice. Thanks." She rambled accepting Erol's offer, happy to finally have somewhere to go other than KG training, a once 6 month course (but after several guard shortages due to metalhead attacks), a six week training period that still felt like forever.

After finishing up at Krew's saloon, the KG Trainee and commander left, returning to the palace by foot. Before taking one step closer, Erol swiftly stopped Leona in her tracks as she gave him a questioning look. The commander proceeded to pull down her goggles over her eyes and pull up the breather mask over her face, setting her appearance to look like a full fledged KG. The main difference was the lack of a weapon. "Consider this on-the-job training." He stated.

"Why the…?" She protested as Erol pushed her along.

He had something planned, and was going to use Leona to do it. Leading her into Dead Town, her pace slowed as she realized she was only a few blocks away from home. Her pace quickened as she realized she was falling behind, trailing right behind the red-headed commander following him right into one of the small little homes that stood right on the walls of the city. Inside the lights were dim. It was an evicted home that seemed to have been abandoned for quite some time. It smelled of mildew and sawdust.

Voices murmured in the darkness, coming from the kitchen. Erol stayed behind, having his young trainee enter the room first. There was a man in his 30's with dark hair and all brown and black tunic apparel, tied to a chair surrounded by three Krimzon guards. It was evident he had already lost an eye due to a previous struggle. Suddenly, Laona knew what just happened. It was a trick to have her do something. Erol planned the whole thing. He stood there guarding the exit, giving her no chance of backing out of it.

"First lesson of the KG: Show no mercy." Erol growled at her startled expression. "This is one of the many rats of this city. His crime; affiliation with the Underground filth. It's the same as committing treason in this town. We have zero tolerance for all who dare to threaten our ruler, Baron Praxis." He ranted with anger in his eyes, glaring at the man.

Leona turned to look at the man. Looking up, the underground member just stared at her. He knew what was going to happen next. Erol addressed one of the guards. "Did you receive any more information?"

"Negative." He replied as the other one stated, "He refuses to speak."

"Leona, my dear… I brought you along so we could try one more time getting some solid information out of this man before his inevitable demise." Erol's voice was shockingly calm in spite his words. Laona's heart started to race. Was he going to ask her to do the impossible? This guy was ruthless in trying to completely break her. He saw Leona as a challenging project, in hopes of sculpting her in his image. He'd be damned if he failed to satisfy his pride. The moment she showed her balls (metaphorically of course), he knew she had potential to be big. Haven City needed strong people.

Leona grimaced, looking at the man as she clenched her fists. "…To think I was actually starting to like you." She growled before approaching the man. Erol shifted his weight, shuffling his feet as her statement had actually struck a nerve in him. He may have sold his soul to the devil, but he still had a heart, regardless of its corrupted condition. The prisoner's face was calm, other than his eyes filled with pain. Kneeling down in front of the man, she sighed, moving the goggles and mask away so that her face was revealed. She felt the man needed to see a friendly face before it was over.

"Don't worry, I'm not going to beat it out of you…" Her smile was weak as the red-headed commander crossed his arms in impatience.

"Why do you want to destroy the Baron?" Leona asked calmly.

The man's voice was raspy and broken from all the screaming and shouting he was put under torture before they had arrived.

"He's going to be the death of us all." He coughed. "I fight more for this city than he ever could. Save yourself. Get out of this city. You aren't one of these guys. I can tell…"

The girl's face stiffened as she almost felt like crying. Every bone in her body told her he was right. Unfortunately, her permanent markings as part of the KG betrayed her.

"_That's enough_!" Erol barked glaring at the man, holding his pistol right at the prisoner's head.

Leona jumped into the air as quick as the commander could pull the trigger, killing the underground prisoner instantly. Heart pounding, she glared at him, his face cold and uncaring. He had killed hundreds of times. This was no different. The nearby guards untied the man's body to carry him off to dispose of him.

"Let's go." The commander ordered the KG trainee. His plan failed. The prisoner spoke alright, but in a way he spoke too much, if that was actually possible.

The girl couldn't take the tension anymore. In anger, she grabbed the lone chair and threw it at the wall, inches from Erol's head. He jumped in surprise at her outburst, though he shouldn't have been. He has just thought he had seen the last of her rage after their day of "orientation". She wasn't stupid enough to throw the chair directly at him. That would most likely result in an ass beating and some time in a prison cell. That didn't mean she wasn't tempted.

"Are you done?" The commander frowned, his hand resting on the handle of his pistol resting in its holster.

Instead of a verbal response, she scoffed, shoving past him and out the door. Chasing after her, he proceeded his professional lecture.

"May I remind you that I am your commanding officer, and that means you are to show me respect and do as you're told!" He growled, grabbing the front end of her armor, forcing the girl to face him. The floating vehicle leaned to the right as he held onto her. "After everything I've done for you today, you could at least do as I say _without _the attitude. You are lucky I'm not giving you a citation right now!" He scolded, inches away from his face. Leona avoided his angry gaze as she sat there emotionless, attempting to block it out. It didn't work. "You are lucky I even took you out of the palace with your averting nature. I've shown you kindness, something that does not come by easily for some people. Take advantage of it while you still can." He hissed.

_What makes you think I was ready for that?_ She barked in her mind.

"I can only give you so many chances before I _really_ get mad. Don't. Push. It." He scoffed, finally letting go as he made his way to the driver's side of the KG zoomer. They left in silence.

* * *

Back at the palace, Erol and Leona were moments away from going their separate ways. Her back facing him as she was about to head down to the dorms, Erol's voice caught her ear as he had paused, looking at her.

"Why do you care about them so much?" He asked, resting his hands on his hips.

"Care about what?" She sighed, keeping her eyes to the ground with her arms crossed.

"The people. They've never done anything for you. Why show them empathy and kindness?" the commander questioned her, studying her unique body language.

"…Karma, Erol. You know? What goes around, comes around? Not only that, but they're smarter than they look." She replied, finally turning to look at him. Her deep blue eyes filled with sadness. "If you listen to the people, you learn a lot. Killing does nothing but start problems. We're to blame for the underground's existence." She explained, studying Erol's stilled stance. "I hope you're proud of yourself possibly making it get worse." Leona finished as she finally left the Palace's front lobby.

Watching her leave, he sighed, shaking off whatever form of emotion that was stirred within him as he left to check on the Baron.

* * *

Leona kept a small paper journal in her dorm room; mostly filled with rough sketches of things she had seen, and descriptions of sounds she's heard over the past week. At that moment, sitting at her desk, she was submitting a sketch in her little leather-bound book as she heard a knock on her door.

"For the last time, Miley, I don't have any yakkow cheese for your stupid crackers…" She sighed in annoyance.

"Uh, actually… It's me." Torn answered through the door. Leona's writing hand stilled as she recognized his voice. They hadn't spoken since her birthday. Quickly making a decision, she cleared her throat. "Come on in."

No sooner than two seconds later, she heard the door open as he stepped in, his eyes leading straight to her. "I heard about your quarrel with Erol over in Dead Town… Just wanted to check on ya." His raspy voice was gentile. Leona turned to look at him as she grinned nervously.

"Who else knows about that?" She asked sheepishly as he closed the door.

"Oh, I dunno… Mostly everybody. It had spread like wildfire in the cafeteria, of which I noticed you missed lunch." Torn stated, throwing her an apple. Catching it, she stared at the fruit as if it were an alien. She hadn't realized how late it was. She wasn't hungry until her brain recognized the apple as food.

"I wasn't actually going to hit him with it, you know." The girl sighed, setting the fruit to the side.

Torn pulled out a secondary chair, sitting it backwards as he faced her at eye level. "That's not the point, Leona. He's your superior officer. If you had done that to any other commander than him or me, you would've seriously been penalized, perhaps even thrown back in a jail cell. I don't know what you do to make him like you, but I suggest you not screw it up."

She bit her lip, looking down at her incomplete sketch of the man that he had killed.

"I don't like hurting people either. We do what we must to survive in this city. " He continued, studying her reaction, or lack thereof. "Will you promise me you're going to try and not cause trouble? For me, your one and only cousin?"

Leona smiled, playing with her pencil. "You're my_ brother_, Torn." She corrected. That's what he practically was to her; she thought she might as well call him that. "..I'll keep out of trouble.. And.. I'll try and be nicer to Erol, too."

Rolling his eyes, he smirked and stood back up with a sigh. "Okay, sure, whatever, _sis_. I'm glad to hear it."

* * *

**Okay! This was basically part 1 of 2 in the Pre-Jak 2 part of the story. Next chapter is when things REALLY heat up! :-P Stay tuned!**


	2. Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites

_5 weeks later._

* * *

"Graduation", from the KG training program.

They stood in a solid line as Baron Praxis himself skimmed past them, with Torn close behind him. Leona stood in near the top of the list as the line of guards were based on points accumulated in the six week time span. The only reason why her score wasn't perfect was because she had failed a few of the standardized computer testing modules more than once. The questions were on how to handle a "domestic" dispute. The computer basically concluded she wasn't aggressive enough, of which those standards themselves were ridiculously too high already.

Erol was close to breaking her, in that time span inviting her out once a week for a drink. It almost became routine. He followed behind Torn holding a digital clipboard. Passing Leona, he gave a slight nod of acknowledgment as the commander passed.

"I am here to personally congratulate you all for your success in completing our training program. The road was difficult and with some danger, but here we are." The Baron spoke, head held high. "From here on out, you are officially now full fledged KG officers of Haven City. Some of you may be promoted by rank…" The man droned on as Torn turned back towards Leona.

She smiled as he approached. Not making eye contact, he whispered to her, pretending to look the other direction. "It's good to see you're still here, kid."

"Let's catch up later with dinner." Leona whispered back, keeping an eye out for the Baron, of whom was continuing with his speech. The two cousins had barely seen each other those six weeks besides crossing paths in the hallways. He was continually getting bombarded with work as she was always in training. Their brief family reunion ended the other guards shifted forward. They were to have a formal handshake with Baron Praxis and be on their way to their first patrol mission.

When it was her time facing the large one-eyed Ruler, his grasp was firm. "I've heard stories on your gradual progress from a chair-throwing nuisance to war machine. You're shaping up to be an exceptional officer. Don't let me down."

She smiled weakly, pretending to be happy. "I won't." She stated, leaving the room to meet with the other "graduates", waiting to find out what her first assignment was, posted on a large board on the wall. Everyone flocked over to the board, soon leaving once they found their name and mission. Leona looked over the listing, tracing it over with her finger.

As soon as she saw her name and assignment, she sighed, not surprised at her findings. She was assigned to be one of Erol's tag-alongs. _What is with this guy?_ She shrugged, leaving the board, meeting the two other soldiers who were also assigned with the red-headed commander, a guy called Charley, and another named Roy. Most of the Krimzon graduates were male, with only five female recruits. She was only 1 of those 5, so she wasn't surprised at the total sausage fest.

"Hey, trouble." Charley acknowledged her as she approached. "You're with our group?"

Leona shrugged. "I'm not that surprised.." _We're practically drinking buddies, now._ She thought to herself, deciding that fact was nobody's business.

Roy looked over his handheld communicator that provided a holographic map and mission list. According to his communicator, their first mission was to map out the perimeter, by foot, marking any potential cracks in the city wall large enough for someone to escape. The mission was also set just for everyone to get plenty familiar of the dimensions of the City in case they were required to peruse someone, and fast.

"Why are you not surprised? You actually think you're tougher than the rest of us?" Roy questioned her with an arched brow. Leona's mouth opened to speak, but she had hesitated.

"…No, I-"

Their conversation was interrupted by another voice.

"-You all better be set, because I do not slow down for anyone." Erol announced to his group, making himself known. Everyone's head turned to face him as the commander looked everyone over, pleased to see them all ready to look like they were ready for anything. His eyes gravitated toward the young KG graduate. "First place we're inspecting is the racing stadium. You mentioned there are a few hidden spots, right?" He grinned as she smiled back rolling her eyes, passing her with a friendly nudge on the shoulder. _You had to go there, Erol. Way to ruin my only escape route._ With a shrug, she turned to follow as the two other Krimzon Guards were putting connections in their head.

"Oh, I get it now." Charlie snickered. "_Someone here has a little girl crush on the commander!" _Roy whispered to his comrade. Despite their murmuring, Leona could still hear them, tempted to beat their brains in. What a ridiculous assumption! He was an acquaintance; somewhat maybe at the most potentially a friend. She was still a bit angry over the whole pinned, stripped, and suited deal. That was the last thing she ever would feel.

* * *

Leona showed them the way in through the crevice leading downward below the race tracks in the stadium. She wondered what they were going to do with this place now that it was discovered. She had to open her mouth to Erol about it on one of those nights down at the Hip-Hog Saloon…

Pointing upward to the gaping crack on the corner of the ceiling, she spoke as Erol and the others looked up. "That's where I used to be able to sit for a moment or two and watch the races." She explained, imagining in her head the sound of the crowd cheering, the deafening roar of the zoomer engines; the deadly crashes that occurred on the track. She didn't want to imagine how many dead bodies could be, still trapped in the dark gaping abyss from Track 3. Erol stepped up directly above the crack.

"I be damned. You weren't kidding you couldn't see anything. No way to enjoy a perfectly good race." He shrugged, looking further ahead to find the illegal exit heading towards the ancient precursor mountain pass.

Leona still leading the way, they found a patch of rugged brown dying bushes that were completely out of place from where they should've been. Kneeling down, she pushed the brittle shrubs out of the way, revealing a small tunnel leading out and downward that lead to the warp gate. It looked more like a drainpipe than anything else, which was why it was so perfect. It was just as she remembered. The girl could've come in and out with her eyes blindfolded.

There was minimal evidence suggesting its heavy usage.

"Who else knows of this place?" Erol asked, his tone suddenly becoming serious.

"Just me. If I had told anyone else, especially if Torn found out… This little pathway would be long gone." She sighed, placing her hand on the cool concrete wall.

"That sound so sweet. Roy, dynamite." Charley ordered as the other Krimzon guard handed him a stick. Leona's eyes briefly widened in shock, realizing they were going to permanently close it off. She shouldn't have been surprised. She wanted to protest, but she knew nobody would listen. It was her childhood hideout, and they were going to destroy it, just like everything else. Typical.

Moving out of the way, the two guards started their work.

Erol could tell what they were doing were bothering her. He just couldn't decide whether he cared at all. Moving her to the side, he kept his voice low. "Hey, I'm signed up for a race here tonight, and got you a ticket. I'll manipulate your duty schedule to be off on race nights." He offered in attempts to appeal her attention.

He admired her strength, seeing some of his own traits that had rubbed off her these past few weeks. She found herself practically under his wing especially those last two weeks in training, but still was unsure how to make of it. The girl just got used to him just as she adjusted to what she was becoming, vowing not to be the typical asshole Krimzon Guard that destroyed a life for no good damned reason. She guessed it was because she saw a glimor of hope and goodness in Erol. Hoping to rise those good aspects of him, she took hold of their slowly growing companionship. They were slowly affecting each other in ways they never thought was possible, though both would deny it.

Laona sighed, avoiding eye contact in her aggravation.

"…Only on one condition.." She replied, her blue eyes locked onto his caramel-colored ones. "I want to stop by my home. Just to pick up a few things." She stated as she watched his expression change into curiosity. He wondered if he could trust her to not try and bolt again. Her parole was nearly up, and so far, due to her promise to Torn from her dormroom, she had been on good behavior.

"Fine, it's a date." He teased as she frowned, that statement suddenly reminding her of the other guard's teasing. Erol continued, "Though it'll have to stay off the books. I'll make a few extra patrols and say you were still with me. Stop by there, and I'll pick you up before we go to the track."

Hearing the sudden sound of the detonation button clicking into place, the commander stepped in front of the girl as the tunnel suddenly went _**BOOM!**_ The two guards darted behind support beams before the explosion. Startled with a sudden rush of adrenaline, she abruptly grabbed hold of Erol's arm and stood close, head ducked under, using the commander as a human shield against the debris. He was so used to explosions like these he almost forgot to blink, though Leona's actions mildly caught him off guard. Wasn't this the girl who at one point hated his guts and wished for him to drop dead?

The red-head commander chuckled, turning his head to survey the dust cloud, his hand on her armored shoulder. Leona's eyes widened as she noticed how close she had stepped close to the commander, her heart skipping a beat. _What the hell am I doing?!_ She cursed to herself, releasing her grasp from his suit.

"Well I see you're not as tough as you make yourself out to be… Next time _you're_ strapping the explosions." He stated, walking away from her and back towards the entrance.

She just stood there, her face rosy as could be as she felt embarrassed, intrigued, and disgusted with herself at the same time. As soon as he was far enough away, Roy made teasing kissing noises at her as Charley laughed, nudging his side egging him on. Leona covered her face with her yellow scarf, moving away from them with a scowl.

There were no other illegal exits as the guards and commander made their perimeter patrol. There was the occasional fault line in the concrete, but nothing a patch job couldn't fix. They eventually came into the Bazaar where Torn and Leona had once lived. It was better to live there than Dead Town for sure.

* * *

Erol was keeping with the plan of letting her do whatever she needed in her home before the race. "I'll be here in 20. Call us if there's any trouble." Erol stated, waving her goodbye as he drove off the opposite direction.

Without turning back to watch him leave, Leona entered her home to find evidence of its active occupation. The inside was made of brick walls and polished wooden floors. Everything seemed so normal. Taking in a deep breath, she sighed, soaking in the moment. Sitting down in the plush charcoal black couch, she reminisced the days as if she had never left; feeling like she had somehow drifted back in time back when she was still seventeen and considered a child, too young to join the guard, though she wouldn't have been surprised if the Baron changed that rule either.

A noise from the bathroom down the hall caught her attention as she suddenly heard the click from a scatter gun aimed right at the back of her head.

"State your business." Torn growled in a menacing tone.

"Torn, what the hell?!" She leapt up with hands halfway in the air. Leona turned her head staring at her cousin with wide, startled eyes as Torn immediately removed his finger away from the trigger.

"You should really learn to call first." He roughly sighed.

"To my own home?!" She scoffed, hands on her hips.

"I didn't expect you coming, okay?! You're still on parole, remember." Torn rolled his eyes, resting the gun against the wall, heading towards the kitchen for coffee. "How did you convince them to let you come here?" He asked in annoyance.

The girl's eyes darted about the room as she hesitated to answer.

Taking a step towards the hallway, she spoke. "...Actually, Erol dropped me off." She replied. Torn grew silent. Frowning, he lowered his mug on the kitchen counter as she continued. "I asked him a favor to let me come here. He's coming back to get me so we can go to the races."

"Leona…" The off-duty commander grumbled in warning with his tone, turning to face her in the hallway. "Do you really think that's appropriate for someone in your position?"

She softly chuckled, smiling up at her cousin. "Relax, it's just a race, Torn. I've never been in the stadium before and he invited me in! I'm not taking up the opportunity to do something I've always wanted."

"Older men don't simply invite girls to events just like that. You've got to be careful who you hang around with. Erol's done some things that weren't pretty." Torn warned, still unsure of his cousin's developing friendship with the hot headed commander. He knew how nasty he could get, and how feisty Leona was. Not only that, but her young naive mind couldn't completely take in things others could about Erol.

Ignoring Torn's protests, Leona made it to her room. Stepping in, she began to relax, half tempted to remove all her armor and just take a long nap under her covers; her cocoon. She knew she couldn't, though she couldn't help herself to sitting down on her mattress as she sighed in relief. Her bedroom was small, yet roomy. She had her own tiny bathroom door in one side of the room, along with all her familiar things; a wooden wardrobe, a small entertainment set with a television, a dresser, desk, a large movie collection, and of course, her bed.

"Oh, man I miss my old bed." She announced to herself, her hands waving against the comforter sheet, leaving small indentations in the smooth navy blue fabric. After a moment taking in all she could down memory lane, Leona went right to it scrounging up her backpack with a few articles of her favorite clothing. Krimzon Guards can't be in their uniform 24/7. They were people, too, as she discovered. The girl also grabbed a few of her old sketch pads, a small lone brown teddy bear (no bigger than your palm), and a letter from her parents before they were killed. She paused for a moment at the torn envelope. She had already read it, but it was so long ago. She decided to take a look once more. Within it, it was a simple birthday card with a hand written message.

"_Our dearest Leona, happy 12__th__ birthday! Before we know it you're going to be full grown and ready to face the world. Do us a favor, and don't hurry to grow up. Take each day at a time like a blessing from the Precursors, never waste a moment. Fate takes no sides, so don't feel discouraged if bad things happen. I know things have gotten rough these past few years, but don't worry. Everything will become clear in the end. We love you! – Mom and Dad"_

Leona sighed. _Fate takes no sides, eh?_ She never understood what that meant until she got older. Carefully slipping the letter and envelope in her pack, she left her room, taking one last look, promising herself she'll be back. Soon. She didn't exactly need the full 20 minutes Erol gave her to get her business taken care of. For the remaining 10 minutes, she and her cousin caught up with coffee about how their lives were going. They even had a brief sparring match without actually hitting each other; just displaying how their impacting blows would go if it were a real fight.

Torn chuckled roughly. "I'm glad to see you kept your promise."

She shrugged. "It was either that or get killed." Their conversation was abruptly interrupted by Leona's ear walkie. _"I'm turning in towards the apartment. Get on out here."_ Erol spoke casually in the microphone. She paused, almost with a look of disappointment in her eye. She was, for once in a great while, having fun with Torn. He sighed, hearing the red headed commander's voice in her ear.

"Don't get too carried away." He said, voice raspy as he followed her out the door.

"Don't worry so much." She rebutted with a smirk, carrying her small bag.

"I'm not. My concern is justified." Torn argued as she opened the front door, just as Erol's large KG zoomer pulled up. His eyes traveled up to look over at the other commander. As Leona approached, Erol smirked looking over at Torn.

"Ah, I've never seen you out of uniform. Didn't know you were so thin!" The commander teased as Torn scowled. "Up yours, Erol!" He shouted out of his front door. Leona in the passenger's seat, she retained her amusement between her cousin and the other commander. Zooming up and away, the female Krimzon Guard graduate and commander were off to the races.

* * *

As promised, Leona had a front row seat. She couldn't help but smile; something she had suddenly noticed she hadn't done in a very long time. It was greater than she could have imagined. The roar of the crowd was booming as Baron Praxis himself was the announcer for this evening, going on about the winner of the race receiving a month's supply of Eco, evidentially something that had been going on for a while since it seemed nobody had won it other than Erol himself.

A woman sitting near Leona, about a seat or two away, rolled her eyes and scoffed. "This sport is so corrupted it's not worth it anymore."

"How do you know it's corrupted?" Leona asked, barely glancing over at her.

"Because I've seen and heard the plots and booby-traps over the track. Erol knows how to maneuver out of each one." She replied with a sigh.

The KG graduate turned to study her further. Her hair was bright red in dreads, similar to Torn's, her outfit in all black and red, with the majority of her abdomen revealed. She also had similar KG markings on her face and ears as well. Leona wondered how the hell she never met this woman in the palace. It was obvious she was part of the guard. The woman could sense her puzzled look about her appearance. "I'm Ashlin, the Baron's daughter." She explained, just to stop her from staring. Looking away and back on the track, she noticed Erol driving up on the track meeting the other racers, waving to the fans.

"I'm Leona.." She politely replied.

"I wasn't going to ask your name. A lot of people heard about you throwing a chair at Erol's head." Ashlin barked in annoyance.

Leona swallowed dryly, feeling a hint of regret from that day. "I wasn't actually planning to hit him or anything." She commented as the rev of the engines began.

"Well I'm sorry to hear that. He would've deserved it, that dick." Ashlin flipped her hair back, her body language suggesting aggravation. She didn't want to be there. Her father wanted to get straight to business and talk with her after the race. "He once tried to get to me to get promoted to Torn's 2nd hand position. Once he found that didn't work, he dumped me on the spot. He almost got _de-moted_." She grinned at her last comment. "We weren't 'together' no more than 2 weeks."

The bell was rung. Off the racers went, a blur of firey red hair zooming past. Leona bit her lip. Erol was with Ashlin to try and get promoted? Torn was her cousin, and he knew that. Was that the reason why he was so nice to her?

"…Torn is my cousin." She said, gripping to her seat. Ashlin rose her brow, studying the girl.

"Then I should warn you to watch yourself." The woman stated, watching the race over the large screen. It was impossible to see all the racers at once. "You're here for him, aren't you?" She asked.

Leona could feel her cheeks become rosy. "No, I actually came because I've never been in here before... Never allowed to." She smiled as Erol whizzed by in a blur followed by all the remaining racers that hadn't died from the track. "He let me in."

Ashlin shook her head in disappointment. _He caught another one…_ She sighed to herself. The elder guard didn't make it her business to know Erol's business. She just knew she was hurt. After that, the red headed commander didn't really chase after women. He chased after power; always drawn to it. That didn't mean he didn't befriend a lady friend or two, but it was still a troubling sight.

"Still. I'd be careful if I were you." She sighed, her gaze returning to the track as the racers once more vanished. Leona wasn't sure what to think. She knew he had a dangerous streak from the very beginning. She didn't want to be denied the idea he wasn't all bad.

* * *

Unsurprisingly, Erol won the match, though one challenging racer rattled him well just before the end. Leona was in the cafeteria sipping on coffee as the victorious commander entered as everyone cheered on his arrival. He laughed, waving his arms up as his voice bellowed loudly in the lounge. "All drinks on me at the Hip Hog tonight!" His announcement made all the Krimzon Guards cheer even louder, a few giving each other high fives; the other female guards giggling and swooning. It was moments before the whole pack of at least 30 Krimzon Guards and recent graduates made it to the bar, with a delighted Krew hanging over as he had soon retreated in the back room to count his winnings. It was a win-win situation between the gang lord and commander. One always won the races and reputation, the other continuously bet for him and won. Each. Time.

The music playing, the party booming, it was a blast. Leona made it in last as she slipped in, curiosity overwhelming her. She was never at one of these things, and soon she noticed Torn never was either. There were two guards with their red metallic armor cast to the side in the wrestling ring in the middle of the room. They were doing hand to hand combat moves in combination of cheesy wrestling moves. Others were betting on the two with drinks and cash. Moving to the bar to get a drink, she noticed Erol was also in the group of guards betting on the two fighters.

Sitting down and watching the match herself, she caught the very last of it, one of them practically thrown out of the ring with a face plant. Leona couldn't help herself but to chuckle as some booed, some cheered. It was evident Erol was part of the losing crowd. After muttering insults he turned back to the bar, seeing his latest female newbie take a shot of something.

Approaching her, Erol chuckled. "It's a good thing I didn't bet actual money on that round." He grinned, leaning both elbows on the counter, face down.

"I hate gambling." Leona noted, turning her head to study him. There was a small gash on the side of his jawline. She suddenly noticed that his helmet wasn't on! This was the first time she hadn't seen him in full uniform. The alcohol making her feel bold, she reached over to trace the injury. "Damn, Erol… Someone got you good." She smirked as he rolled his eyes, gently swatting her hand away

"Agh, it was a lucky shot." He growled, looking back at her. _He's not going to live 'till week's end anyway._ He thought to himself.

Leona raised her left arm up and pointed out a scar that was at least 6 inches across. Erol saw it, tilting his head in curiosity awaiting her explanation. "I was in the Precursor Forest and a metalhead got me good when I was fighting it off… _That's_ a lucky shot, and it hurt like a bitch." She stated, letting her arm down.

"I almost regret blowing up the illegal entrance to that place now. That was sort of your training ground, huh?" Erol stated holding a drink, turning to see another couple of guards stepping into the ring. The commander took a shot and grimaced. Bad year. "Ugh.. Sometimes Krew has bad taste in liquor.." He scoffed, smashing the glass. Leona frowned, turning to look at what things she had stay on the counter. Taking Erol's glass, she poured something out of a blue and orange container.

"Here, try this." She smiled, handing it to him. Erol gave her a puzzled look, holding the shotglass. It seemed she liked him enough to not poison him or anything, but what did she know about alcohol? Taking a leap of faith, the commander tried it spite his suspicions.

It ran smooth and warm, with a hint of peppermint. It wasn't bitter, but it _was_ strong. He smiled weakly, looking back at her. "What do you call it?"

She shrugged, looking up at the ceiling as she thought of a name.

"It's… A festive micro-screwdriver." Leona said, "I found Torn's stash one night when he was on call. I managed to replace things before he noticed them missing."

Erol's smile grew bigger as the alcohol entered his bloodstream. "Well, my friend, I think you've found your calling. One day you might take hold of this bar and call it your own." The commander spoke optimistically.

"I'm not _that_ good, Erol!" She giggled, feeling her cheeks threatening to change color. _Stop! Stop! Stop! _She screamed in her head. _You're not supposed to be giggling at someone like this!_

"You could easily get the training. You've got a knack for it." He grinned as she bit her lip, holding onto her own glass. She felt he had a point. Maybe she could get into it one day and learn how to bar tend. Her train of thought evaporated as an up-beat song that just made her want to move. Tapping her foot and nodding her head, she enjoyed the brief silence in the conversation as she listened to the song; a combination of rock and techno, something eerily similar to Skrillex's song "Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites". Buzzed, Erol grinned as he noticed her change in mood as the music hit her ears. Grabbing her hand, he practically flew her out to the side, catching her off guard.

The expression of her face was priceless; a combination of excitement, horror, and curiosity as Erol had suddenly put her on the 'dance floor', of which was mostly just the corner of the room as most were dancing with themselves or still betting on the fighting KG's in the ring. Someone tripped over a power chord, and parts of the lights went out as a disco ball emerged from the ceiling, just above the wrestling rink. Everyone screamed at the man who tripped over the chords to KEEP THEM OFF!

The guards actually liked half the room to be dark, adding onto the relaxing atmosphere.

"Erol, no I-" She began to say staring up at the ceiling, seeing how dark it went when he interrupted her.

"Come on, I know you have fun _sometimes_. Celebrate with me." The lack of light never discouraging a bit, the commander smirked, dancing in sync to the beat.

_Okay first, he's a great racer, now a great dancer?! Leona you need to get out now, he's just too unreal. There's some sort of catch to this guy. After all, he's hurt you before!_ Her inner voice screamed at her, of which was nearly muted with the alcohol running through her system. It was the only time she was able to keep her thoughts practically silent. It dulled down all her feelings of worry.

Every time the female KG found she was beginning to dance too close, she'd back off. Leona was just glad they weren't drawing too much attention, other than the two guards, Roy and Charley, who were silently laughing their asses off, mouthing _"Told you so" _to each other. She would've loved to go up to them and let the both of those men they looked so happy together. She swore they could've been gay, and that's why those two gave her a hard time.

Erol took her hand and rose it up to have her do the classic lady's spin. Humoring him, Leona made the move, spinning with a small hint of a giggle, her back directly behind the left hand side of his chest.

Before she could respond, the commander's arms were wrapped around her in a playful manor, one wrapped over her chest plate just above her neck, the other over her abdomen. She quickly held her breath, startled by his touch. _It's the alcohol. It's the alcohol. It's. The. Alcohol. Maybe I shouldn't take up this business if this is going to happen… _She repeated to herself, feeling the rosiness of her cheeks. Her heart skipping a beat, her body betrayed her mind as the butterflies in her stomach went wild, hating how she was liking every moment of it. She refused to admit anything those two guards were saying about her, or listen to anything Ashlin had said about him earlier. It just couldn't be so.

His breath was warm beside her ear. "See? Not as hard as one would think."

Leona sighed as he let go, the parts where he had touched suddenly felt so cold. They continued to move to the music, and instead of pulling away when she felt she got too close, she stayed there, giving up on what self control she had.

"I guess being placed in the guard was a bit of a shock to me... As you had noticed." She admitted, looking up at him spite the darkness, blue eyes into caramel colored ones.

Erol laughed, replaying their first encounter in the lobby and in the Palace's prison floor, how feisty and angry she was. "Yes, it was obvious. You make the most creative insults when you're angry." He chuckled as she rolled her eyes in annoyance. "What do you expect? At least I'm not throwing chairs anymore." She rebutted as she sighed, grabbing her red KG helmet and tossing it aside, revealing a frizzled set of dark brown hair. The commander tilted his head, taking in her slight change in appearance, debating on keeping it that way. However, if she was in battle without it, one shot of the head would take her out for good and she'd be gone.

"What made _you_ join the guard, Erol?" She asked as she stiffened when his hands slipping over to her waist as he tested the waters as to how far he could go, which he doubted was that far. _What the hell, you're screwed over anyway._ She silently scoffed to herself. Slightly hesitating, she wrapped her wrists over his shoulders, tracing the unique tubing over his uniform.

He shrugged, holding eye contact with her. "It was about 6 years ago. My father was a drunken asshole that got himself blown up, and I had no place else to go _but_ the palace. The training came easy to me. I loved being the one behind the barrel of a gun. I guess you could also say I'm addicted to the power of it. I have the choice of whether to save the whole flock… Or destroy it."

Leona frowned. "..Why would you want to destroy the flock?"

The red headed commander responded with his own frown. "…Who says the flock deserves to live? You don't know the context of the group when I say that. What if it was a 'flock' of metalheads? Why wouldn't we take them all out? They all deserve to die."

He had a point, but Leona already had a feeling as to what he really meant. Her expression softened with a sigh. "It was exciting to see you win today." She noted, changing topic.

"Oh, _now_ you acknowledge my inevitable victory, avoiding talk of metalheads. I see how it is." He chuckled as his eyes lit up in pride. The KG graduate shrugged, looking away. "They're nasty, horrible creatures. I don't wanna talk about them..." She stated, as the music faded into the background of other noises. Erol stepped in close, appreciating the darkness and the privacy it gave.

"How fast did you think I was going?" He asked, his voice surprisingly calm.

Looking up, she hardly noticed how close they were, only feeling the swaying motion the feeling the alcohol was giving her.

"You were a blur... Of red hair." She replied, her hand lighly stroking the back of his head, feeling the smoothness in texture each strand was. How on earth did he manage that?!

His eyes gone in a haze, his breath slowed as the tips of her fingers re-traced his bold jawline, up to the gash but never touching it. What was with this girl, and what was she doing to him? Were those two shots of alcohol really so strong as to cause him to let his guard down with her? Then again, they had been spending a bit more time around each other than the average Commander and Guard. Erol admired the potential in her. She was challenging, strong, and easy to talk to. Was that why he invited her out to the races and to dance? The commander didn't stop her hands from exploring.

"How else could I be? I'm always on fire." He spoke above a whisper, his hands cradling her hips, instinctively pulling her closer. Leona's heart began to race, fearing what was just about to happen next, and how badly the urge was there to let it happen. Tilting her head up eyes glazed over, she saw him leaning in.

Their lips were so close, both able to clearly feel each other's breath when the moment was abruptly ruined by the out bursting shout.

"**Commander!**!" A higher ranking officer burst through the door.

Erol's eyes shot wide open, pulling away from Leona and to the nameless officer. He could shoot him in the head right about now. The female KG, startled, quickly stepped away in embarrassment as the lights flickered on. Talk about a crashed party. All heads turned on Erol and the party crasher.

"Someone better be dying." Erol growled angrily at the officer, straightening his outfit as if it had been displaced.

"You need to report back to headquarters immediately. We have a situation." The Krimzon officer announced, glaring at Leona. "The Baron also requested that girl to be present as well."

The red headed commander scowled, waving his arms up. "Are you going to wait to tell me there or should I beat it out of you?!" Erol barked.

"Torn has betrayed us. Lets MOVE." The lower-ranked officer replied, storming out the front door as some Krimzon Guards grew silent, some cursing under their breath, with one muttering, _"I'm not surprised…"_

Fists clenched, Erol turned to Leona. Whatever form softness in his eyes had been there before, was gone. Only anger remained. Her heart sank in fear. _Oh shit._ She cried to herself, backing away as he stormed towards her. "What did you do?!" Erol barked, hands painfully clenching to her arms as she was pinned to the stone wall between the tables.

"I didn't do anything, I swear!" She cried. "I had nothing to do with it!"

"Bullshit!" He hissed. "Your cousin was always the weak link, and you're not too far behind, having sympathy for the people! I shouldn't have even let you go home in the first place. All you did was plot your crimes against the Baron!" His accusations burned like salt on a wound. The guards gathered around behind the Commander. It was as if Leona was the one who betrayed them.

"Did you think for a second trying to befriend me was going to work, girl?!" He ranted.

"I'm telling you the truth, Erol!" She pleaded, her hands grasping his arms, tears flowing down her cheeks. "When I got home I packed my bags and then we had coffee, talking about the graduation ceremony! You're my alibi thereafter!" Leona realized things were looking grim for her. She couldn't prove what she was discussing with Torn.

"I don't hate the Baron, Erol! I've grown to actually admire him!" She partially lied.

The girl didn't hate him, but admiration was a long shot. Respect his authority? She had no choice but to be compliant. Erol frowned, studying her carefully, thinking about her words. She did have a point. She had been with him all along. There was no way for her to have helped him escape. The commander spoke to him as he was picking Leona up, and she didn't seem the least bit bothered or worried. With a rough sigh, he loosened his grip, shoving her away.

"We'll see about that." Erol scoffed, turning away as his buzz was entirely killed from the sudden news. He didn't even wince as the other guards apprehended Leona, putting her in cuffs and shoving her out the door. Still in tears, Leona simply drooped her head as they made their way back to the palace. _Torn, what fate have you sealed upon me? _

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**Oooooooo! Leona's in REAL hot water! Very hot. What do you see happing next? Btw, reviews help A LOT in the writing process. I really love seeing everyone's comments and concerns about the story, and please, be honest. The last time I wrote a Jak and Daxter fanfic, I used the same OC you see now, but she was SO FLAT (character sheets really help a ton)  
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**Anyway. Once again, thank you so much for reading.**

This was part 2 of the Pre-Jak 2 portion of the story.


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